Added: 12/13/2005 |
Christmas Lights Can Light A Fire If Safety Isn?t ObservedEven though a healthy segment of the population has made the switch to using artificial trees during the holiday season, a good number of families still stick with tradition and place live trees with christmas lights in their homes. This is neither a good or bad thing. One more artificial tree isn't going to make a dent in the thousands or millions of live trees that are cut and sold each year during the holidays. What makes the practice risky is when christmas lights are placed on live trees that that get dryer with each passing day and thus increase the chance of fire.
That's right: F-I-R-E. Seems silly to imagine that christmas lights can cause a fire in the home. After all, most christmas lights are low watt wonders. How could anything cause a fire? Statistics reveal that the problem isn't so much the lights per se, it's when 3 or 4 strings of lights are plugged into one extension cord or one multi-socket that overloads the circuits and creates a spark or two that can potentially catch fire to the ever-drying Christmas tree. Unfortunately this isn't a might-happen-kind-of-incident. It's a DOES-happen-kind-of-incident. An incident that happens every year all around the world. Causing an incredible amount of damage and taking lives in the process.
Christmas lights can be man's friend not his worst enemy. It just takes a bit of common sense. If you're going to dress up a live tree in your home be safe not sorry.
- Keep the tree maintained. Most trees start drying out with 3 days of purchase. The National Safety Council recommends that you trim a few inches of branches off the base of the tree, and place the trunk in a stand that can hold water.
- Make sure that use only string up "indoor" christmas lights on an indoor tree. And never use more than 3 sets of christmas lights on one extension cord.
- Don't run extension cords under carpets and keep the extension plug away from the tree.
- Always turn off the lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
Another christmas tree light that should be mentioned isn't actually a light, it's a candle. In keeping with age-old Christmas traditions, some families have taken to placing Christmas candles on their trees. You can imagine the fire hazard that exists when placing a candle on a live tree. Better to use the Christmas candle as an ornament and not as a Christmas tree light that can potentially burn your house to the ground.
It's important to note that just as many christmas tree lighting-related accidents occur outside of the home as do inside. The same errors in judgement that set trees on fire can level a house just as quickly. Most home owners take lighting as an opportunity to showcase their homes. And often that means stringing up too many lights and plugging in to not enough or even faulty sockets.
There are, in fact, "Christmas Tree lighting Specialists" who do brisk business during the holidays. These individuals will come to your house, assess your living area, point out and correct any potential hazards, and then light your tree and your house for you. They are electricians with a twist. And having a professional take care of the business of christmas tree lighting may be an investment worth considering.
Remember, Christmas tree lightening should be an occasion that brings a family together for the right reasons. Happy Holidays!
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